Package dispenser

Abstract

A dispenser for storing and dispensing small packages such as individual packages containing, for example, a single dose of a non-prescription medication. The dispenser is designed to hold and dispense a plurality of different packaged products, each of which is visibly stacked in a vertically disposed magazine where each package can be easily removed with the next package dropping by gravity to the dispensing position. The individual packages are initially contained in a disposable tray, each of which slides into one of the magazines of the dispenser with the empty tray being removed from the magazine and discarded once all of the packages have been dispensed.

What is claimed is as follows: 
     
       1. A dispenser for storing, displaying and manually dispensing individual box-shaped packages, said dispenser comprising: a housing having a generally vertically extending rear wall and a generally vertically extending front wall spaced from the rear wall to form an open space between the walls, dividers spaced apart between the front and rear walls to form within the open space of the dispenser one or more vertically-extending magazines each throughout its length being substantially uniform in width and uniform in depth and adapted to receive one or more box-shaped packages to be stored and dispensed, each magazine having an opening in the front wall that defines a dispensing opening at the lower end of the magazine, a support at the lower end of each magazine near the dispensing opening adapted to support a plurality of packages in a stacked relationship in a magazine, a lip extending across the lowest portion of the dispensing opening and having a top edge extending above the support, the width of the dispensing opening being greater than the width of a package to be contained in the magazine and the height of the dispensing opening above the top edge of the lip being greater than the height of a single package, a recess in the support and extending toward but not into the back wall to provide for manual lifting of a lowermost package resting on the support over the lip and through the dispensing opening, the front wall having an upper part above the dispensing opening and a lower part below the dispensing opening, and the lower part of the front wall having a recess beneath the recess in the support at the lower end of each magazine. 
     
     
       2. The dispenser of claim 1 which the upper part of the front wall includes an area providing a panel for identifying material. 
     
     
       3. A dispenser for storing, displaying and manually dispensing individual box-shaped packages, said dispenser comprising: a housing having a generally vertically extending rear wall and a generally vertically extending front wall spaced from the rear wall to form an open space between the walls, dividers spaced apart between the front and rear walls to form within the open space of the dispenser one or more vertically-extending magazines each adapted to receive the packages to be stored and dispensed, each magazine having an opening in the front wall that defines a dispensing opening at the lower end of the magazine, a support at the lower end of each magazine near the dispensing opening adapted to support a plurality of packages in a stacked relationship in the magazine, a lip extending across the lowest portion of the dispensing opening at a position above the support, a recess in the front wall beneath the lip to provide for manual lifting of a lowermost package stored in a magazine over the lip and through the dispensing opening, and an open-top tray adapted to receive and hold a plurality of said packages in a stacked relationship within the tray, the tray having a bottom wall, a rear wall, a front wall the height of which is substantially less than the height of the rear wall, and spaced apart side walls joining the front wall and rear wall, the side walls at their juncture with the front wall being of a height substantially the same as the front wall so that the tray when empty can pass through the dispensing opening, the tray being removably received in one of said magazines with the open top of the tray facing forwardly so that packages in the tray are visible through the opening in the front wall of the dispenser, the support at the lower end of each magazine positioning the tray in the magazine with the lowest one of the packages in the tray being positioned behind the lip. 
     
     
       4. The dispenser of claim 3 in which the side walls of the tray are scored between the front wall and the rear wall to provide for collapsing of the tray to facilitate its removal from the magazine when the tray is empty. 
     
     
       5. The dispenser of claim 3 which the height of one of said magazines is greater than twice the length of a tray between the tray's front wall and rear wall, and the opening in the front wall of the dispenser is greater than the length of a tray so that a first tray positioned in a magazine and a portion of a second tray on top of the first tray are both visible through the opening in the front wall of the dispenser. 
     
     
       6. A dispenser for storing, displaying and manually dispensing individual box-shaped packages, said dispenser comprising: a housing having a generally vertically extending rear wall and a generally vertically extending front wall spaced from the rear wall to form an open space between the walls, dividers spaced apart between the front and rear walls to form within the open space of the dispenser one or more vertically-extending magazines each throughout its length being substantially uniform in width and uniform in depth and adapted to receive one or more box-shaped packages to be stored and dispensed, each magazine having an opening in the front wall that defines a dispensing opening at the lower end of the magazine, a support at the lower end of each magazine near the dispensing opening adapted to support a plurality of packages in a stacked relationship in the magazine, a lip extending across the lowest portion of the dispensing opening at a position above the support, a recess in the front wall beneath the lip to provide for manual lifting of a lowermost package stored in a magazine over the lip and through the dispensing opening, an open-top tray adapted to receive and hold a plurality of said packages in a stacked relationship within the tray, the tray being removably received in one of said magazines with the open top of the tray facing forwardly so that packages in the tray are visible through the opening in the front wall of the dispenser, the support at the lower end of each magazine positioning the tray in the magazine with the lowest one of the packages in the tray being positioned behind the lip, and the tray having a bottom wall, a rear wall, a front wall the height of which is substantially less than the height of the rear wall, and spaced apart side walls joining the front wall and rear wall, the side walls being at a height substantially the same as the front wall from the front wall to a point generally midway between the front wall and rear wall and then extending upwardly to the height of the rear wall so that the tray when empty can be passed through the dispensing opening. 
     
     
       7. The dispenser of claim 6 in which the side walls of the tray are scored between the front wall and the rear wall to provide for collapsing of the tray to facilitate its removal from the magazine when the tray is empty.